Oprah Through the Years

Oprah Winfrey and Michael Jordan attend Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

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Tom Hanks and Oprah Winfrey attend Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

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Will Smith and Oprah Winfrey attend Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

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Jamie Foxx and Oprah Winfrey attend Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

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Usher sings to Oprah Winfrey during the taping of “Oprah’s Surprise Spectacular” in Chicago.

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Oprah Winfrey and Maria Shriver smile during the taping of “Oprah’s Surprise Spectacular” in Chicago.

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President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama are pictured with Oprah Winfrey during a taping of The Oprah Winfrey Show at Harpo Studios in Chicago.

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Oprah Winfrey is shown with “Elvis the Koala” during the taping of her show in Australia.

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Oprah Winfrey talks with Dr. Maya Angelou on the episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” that originally aired on April 4, 2002.

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Oprah Winfrey is shown with former President Bill Clinton from the episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” that originally aired on June 22, 2004.

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Oprah Winfrey is shown with singer Diana Ross from the episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” that originally aired on April 5, 2000.

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Oprah Winfrey is shown with singer Tina Turner from the episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” that originally aired on February 17, 1997.

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Oprah Winfrey is shown with guests (L-R) Stevie Wonder, John Travolta, Gayle King and Tina Turner from the Oprah’s 50th Birthday Party episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” that originally aired on January 29, 2004.

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Oprah Winfreey gets a kiss from former President George W. Bush during the taping of her show on September 19, 2000.

Harpo, Inc./George Burns

Oprah Winfrey is pictured with Mattie Stepanek duirng the taping of her show on October 19, 2001.

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Oprah Winfrey, chairman of OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, is joined by singer Will.i.am as she announces the new original programming for the channel’s 2011 launch.

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Oprah Winfrey promotes her upcoming cable channel OWN at the Discovery Communications New York Upfronts in Manhattan.

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Oprah Winfrey introduces the award for Best Actress at the 82nd Academy Awards at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.

Oprah Winfrey joins Larry King for his 50th Anniversary in Broadcasting celebration at CNN headquarters in LA.

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In summer of 2007, Oprah, pictured here with Tyler Perry, vacations to the Italian Riviera.

Oprah Winfrey dons sandals after an appearance on “The View” in Manhattan’s Midtown.

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Oprah cries as she receives an honorary degree from Howard University.

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Oprah Winfrey attends the opening night of Broadway show “Three Days of Rain” in Manhattan.

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Oprah Winfrey attends the screening of “Oprah Winfrey’s Legends Ball” in New York City.

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The media mogul during her trip to South Africa in 2007 for the opening of her school for girls.

Oprah Winfrey opens a self-funded multi-million dollar school for poor South African girls in January 2007 in Johannesburg. Winfrey’s school was the culmination of a pledge she made to Nelson Mandela six years ago, prompting him to heap tributes on her at the glitzy, celebrity-driven opening.

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Oprah Winfrey celebrating after the Oscars.

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Oprah Winfrey laughs it up with Mary J. Blige at the Vanity Fair after party.

Oprah arrives at the 1995 Essence Awards with her longtime partner, Stedman Graham.

Oprah’s weight has continued to fluctuate ever since – the quickly rising star is pictured here after winning an Emmy for outstanding talk show host in 1994.

In 1988 – decades before the infamous Tom-Cruise-couch-jumping fiasco – Oprah jumps up and down while showing off her new figure after losing 67 pounds on a liquid diet.Oprah later referred to this show as her “biggest, fattest” mistake. “I had literally starved myself for four months – not a morsel of food – to get into that pair of size 10 Calvin Klein jeans,” said Oprah, who regained 17 of the 67 by 1989.